Je t'aime
by Brown Eyes Parker
Summary: A collection of Jane/Lisbon-centric Valentine's Day Stories. COMPLETE
1. This Time Is Forever

**Story 1 – This Time Is Forever**

**A Jane/Lisbon Story**

**By Brown Eyes Parker**

**Summary: ****Jane and Lisbon elope in Las Vegas on Valentine's Day. **

**Author's Note: ****Yes, this is a threequel to "A Boyfriend for Christmas" and "the Second Time Around", and yes it's part of my Valentine's Day collection. It pretty much stands can stand on its own, but if you have to, you can go and read the other two. The title comes from "I Can't Stop Loving You" by Michael Jackson.**

**Warnings: ****Light mentions of love making, but nothing worthy of an M rating. Other than that, there aren't any warnings. No spoilers for any of the episodes. I even steered clear of my habit to put in tons of mentions of pop culture in this story. I could warn you about the fluff. There's fluff, I don't think it's "so fluffy, you're gonna die", but the fluff factor is definitely there. **

**.**

"Maura wouldn't be happy if she knew we were doing this," Lisbon said as she and Jane waited in the lobby of a chapel on the Vegas strip.

"So? Who cares what Maura thinks," Jane replied and took her hand, lacing her fingers through his. "We're still going to get married in July in front of all our friends and family. But you don't understand Lisbon! I don't want to go another second without being married to you."

Lisbon shook her head. "Always the impatient one. July is only five months away; I really can't believe I agreed to do this—"

"I can," Jane said. "Eloping in Vegas on Valentine's Day is wildly romantic, and we both know that you are a romantic at heart."

"That was redundant," Lisbon teased.

"Oh, hush!" He replied, fully ready to break her strict rule of no public displays of affection, and kiss her in the middle of the chapel, in front of all the other couples waiting to get married.

She pulled away. "I just don't know Jane. This whole thing feels so impersonal to me. Our witness is a sale's clerk you met while buying my ring and an elderly couple that was on the flight with us."

Jane lowered his voice so their witnesses wouldn't hear. "That doesn't matter. Krystal is a young woman looking for a little excitement in her life, and James and Hannah just wants to see other couples as happy as they've been these last sixty years."

Their conversation was cut short by a chapel employee coming out of and telling them that it was their turn.

Jane pressed his lips right to her ear, his voice getting huskier. "I'll see you in there."

Lisbon's stomach fluttered in anticipation as Jane disappeared into the chapel with their witnesses not far behind them. She stood and smoothed out the fitted, off-white suit she had splurged on earlier that morning. Her knees were shaking, in the good way, as she started for the doorway.

Jane's eyes never left her as she walked down the aisle towards him; his smile growing wider as she got closer and closer. He took her hand, and it seemed like everything passed by in a blur. It was like she had blinked and missed the whole thing. All of a sudden the man officiating the ceremony was pronouncing her Mrs. Teresa Jane, and her new husband was kissing her like he had never kissed her before.

She wondered in the back of her mind how he would pull off a convincing kiss when they got married in five months. But reason kicked in; if anybody could pull off a convincing kiss it was Patrick Jane, he had done it before, when they had just been pretending to be in love. So, she stopped thinking and kissed him back with equal fervor.

"So, what now?" Lisbon asked as she and Jane walked to their rented convertible after bidding their witnesses goodbye.

"If you're hungry, we could grab a bite to eat," Jane answered. "And then spend the rest of the night dancing. Or—"

Lisbon felt her cheeks flush red at his evocative smile; she knew exactly what the third option would be.

She returned his smile with one of her own, "Dinner can wait. I hear that our hotel has excellent room service. And as for the dancing, we'll have plenty of time for that—"

She didn't get to finish her sentence because Jane had grabbed her hand and sprinted the last few feet to their car.

.

"Are you okay?" Lisbon whispered when Jane had stopped kissing her.

"I just never thought this would happen again," Jane answered, his voice lower than her's. "I almost can't believe that it's happened."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" She asked as she slipped her fingers through his.

"It's a good thing," he replied, kissing the scar on her shoulder. "A very, _very_ good thing."

**.**

"How about dinner?" Jane whispered in her ear a couple of hours later.

Lisbon grinned sleepily as she turned the lamp on and reached for a hotel bathrobe, she sat up and pushed her arms through the sleeves. "Sure."

Jane observed his wife as she cinched the belt on the robe, and ran her fingers through her dark tresses; she gave up on the tangles after a second and pulled her hair off her face into a messy bun. He couldn't take his eyes off her; in the hours after consummating their marriage she was more mesmerizing to him than ever.

"What do you want to eat?" Lisbon asked, breaking him from his train of thought. She had found a menu, and was now pursuing its contents diligently.

"Ice cream," he answered lazily.

"Patrick," Lisbon said, looking at him disapprovingly from over the menu as she came and sat down on the bed, tucking her legs up under her.

He gave her a cheeky grin and leaned forward, weaving his fingers through her hair, his lips ghosted across her neck. "Why don't you choose? You know I'll eat anything."

"I think I want grilled cheese and French fries," Lisbon said, snapping the menu shut.

Jane pulled away from her in surprise. "You want French fries and grilled cheese for our wedding supper?"

Lisbon shrugged. "Where's the sense in eating lobster and steak when you already seduced me? So, French fries and grilled cheese isn't the most romantic meal on earth, it doesn't matter. All that really matters is the person you eat it with."

"Did I make a huge mistake and marry somebody smarter than me?" Jane asked, pulling her down beside him to kiss her more thoroughly.

"Jane. . . I'm hungry," Lisbon reminded him.

Jane reached for the phone and dialed room service; he placed an order for two grilled cheeses, French fries, and chocolate ice cream before hanging up and turning his attention back to Lisbon's lips.

Lisbon giggled as she wrapped her arms around Jane's neck and kissed him back.

**.**

After they had finished their dinner, Jane turned his iPod on and plugged it into the dock he had brought from home. Anoldrock song came over the speakers and he turned to his wife, pulling her out of bed with him.

"What are you doing Patrick?" She whispered.

"This is the part of the evening where we have our first dance as husband and wife," Jane answered, pulling her closer and wrapping his arms around her waist, he moved with her to the beat, and buried his face in her hair. He picked her up and spun her around, causing her to giggle again and hold onto him tightly. He lowered her and smiled as he whispered the lyrics in her ear, every word was a caress to her soul, and every word was a testament to what he felt for her.

Lisbon's breath caught in her throat as her lips found his and she kissed him slowly. "Have I told you how much I love you?"

"Not today," Jane replied, his voice low. "What about me? Have I told you how much I love you?

"Not today," Lisbon answered. "But you don't have to say it, because I know."

"I'm going to say it anyways," Jane whispered as he kissed her neck and worked his way up to her jaw. "I love you Mrs. Jane."

Lisbon's heart swelled at the sound of her new name coming from his lips, she closed her eyes and sighed contentedly. "I love you too."

The next morning, Lisbon woke up with her head on Jane's bare chest, his heart beat steadily in her ear. She felt so secure and loved that she would have been content to stay in bed with him forever.

Of course, she knew that they'd have to leave eventually because real life was waiting for them in Sacramento. They'd snuck away without telling anybody their plans and she was sure the team was at work by now, wondering where they were.

But as Jane stirred beneath her and tangled his fingers in her hair as he whispered sweet nothings in her ear before peppering it with kisses, she was more than willing to let their real life wait a little longer.

**_Fin (for now)_**

**. **

**Author's Note II:**

**I'll admit that I burst out into peals of giggles every ten seconds while I wrote this story. It was a little awkward for me, because I've never actually written a love scene of any kind. I haven't even mentioned a love scene before now. So, if it's a little strained. . . you know exactly why. **

**Anyways, I'm outta here for now. So, until next time!**

**Love,**

**Holly, 1/28/1012_**


	2. Sweet Like Candy to My Soul

**Story 2 – Sweet Like Candy To My Soul**

**A Jane/Lisbon Story**

**By Brown Eyes Parker**

**Summary:**

**Jane's giving Lisbon conversation hearts, what does it mean exactly? The title was taken from the lyrics to "Crash Into Me" by the Dave Matthews Band.**

**Author's Note:**

**WHY, OH WHY do all my stories turn so romantic and wordy? I tried to keep this as friend-centric as possible, but then the romantic conversation hearts started to scream at me and this got waaaaaay out of control. Please don't read this if you're not into fluff. **

**.**

"Did you know that the first Conversation Heart was invented in 1866?" Jane asked as he burst into Lisbon's office early on Valentine's Day morning.

"Do you know what time it is?" Lisbon replied, not looking up from her computer. "I'm not in the mood for your random trivia this early in the morning."

Jane grinned, ignoring her snarky comment. "I have something for you."

She sighed, glancing at him wearily. "This better not be one of your tricks Jane. I'm really, really, really not in the mood today."

"No tricks," Jane promised, he unfolded the napkin he was holding and carefully placed a yellow candy heart on her desk.

She eyed it. "What is it?"

"See for yourself," he replied excited as a little boy on Christmas morning.

Lisbon sighed and picked it up and turned it over in her hand. The words _FRIENDS 4 EVER_ were printed on the candy in bright pink. She smiled inspite of herself; she hadn't gotten a conversation heart since second grade. And even then, the young boy who had given it to her had done it on a dare, he hadn't really liked her. The pretty blonde with the pretty name had been the one who held his attention.

She looked up again so she could thank Jane, but he had already disappeared. She just shook her head and smiled, opening a drawer soshecould tuck the heart next to the origami frog and the dried Hydrangea Jane had given her a while back.

Later that morning, when she got back from a meeting with Wainwright, one of her favorite coffee drinks from Marie's was waiting on her desk along with a pink conversation heart that said _MY TREAT_. She didn't have to wonder who had left her the gifts, the gesture screamed Jane.

She took an indulgent sip of coffee and entertained thoughts of finding Jane. The _thank yous _she owed him were building up rather quickly. She had a nagging feeling that by the end of the day she would be deep in debt, and even a million thank yous wouldn't suffice for all the time and effort that he had put into making her Valentine's Day enjoyable.

**.**

Lisbon was eating lunch when she found a third candy heart between her sandwich and Golden Delicious apple. It was orange and had the term _ANGEL_ printed on it. The word startled her; she didn't even want to begin to wrap her mind around what it could mean. She didn't want to even guess, because she didn't want to be wrong. She dropped the heart back in her lunch bag and tried to ignore it.

But pretending something like that wasn't there was not an easy task, especially since it practically was a term of endearment, and it was right at her fingertips. She picked it up again and turned it around in her hand.

_This is crazy Teresa_, she told herself. _He's just trying to be your friend, and you're reading too much into it. You _really_ need to get over him_—

"Eating lunch by yourself?" Jane asked, breaking into her musings.

"Oh. . . um – yes," Lisbon answered, stashing the candy in her jacket pocket before he could notice her studying it. "I wanted to eat with you, but then I couldn't find you."

"I ran home for a little bit," Jane said vaguely, sitting down across from her.

Lisbon nodded and took a bite of her apple. "Hey, I wanted to thank you."

"Thank me for what?"

"The conversation hearts. . . I really appreciate them."

"Don't thank me right now, the day's not yet."

Lisbon almost choked on the piece of apple she was chewing.

"Careful," Jane said, smiling at her.

She cleared her throat. "What else do you have planned?"

"It's a surprise," Jane answered.

**.**

When she opened her car door, she found a purple conversation heart with the words _MEET ME_ printed on them. There was also a case with a mixed CD in it, and a piece of paper that had directions and a time scribbled on it in Jane's handwriting.

Lisbon glanced at her wristwatch. She didn't have time to go home and change out of her work clothes. She sighed in exasperation; it was just like Jane not to give her ample time to prepare properly. Oh well, she was just going to have to make do with what resources she had available to her.

She scrounged around the SUV and found some lipstick and bobby pins in her glove compartment, there was pair of red heels under her seat from the last CBI benefit she had attended. Her feet had been sore, and she had discarded them the minute she had gotten out of the hotel ballroom. Last of all, she shrugged out of her blazer, and tossed it in the back seat. She was thankful that her basic uniform of a white t-shirt and jeans would transfer easily into evening with the right accessories.

When she was finished making the minor changes to the way she looked, she slipped the CD that Jane had left for her into her player.

Ten minutes later, she was pulling into the parking lot of a modest apartment complex. She checked her paper again, just to make sure she had the right address, and then killed the engine. She sat, debating what to do next, knowing in one of the apartments that Jane was waiting for her.

She just wasn't sure of why he was waiting for her. She wasn't sure if she wanted to find out or not. Not after all the things that he had done for her over the course of the day. She didn't want to find out the meaning behind the conversation hearts, a part of her was content to leave it as a mystery. Suddenly, she was very nervous.

Her phone rang and she answered it without even bothering to check who was calling her.

"Oh. . . hey Jane, yeah I just got here. Of course I'm coming up! Just give me a minute."

**.**

Three minutes later, she was standing outside the apartment that Jane had directed her to. She raised her hand to knock, and hesitated before knocking lightly. He was at the door in five seconds, and ushering her inside.

"Why am I here?" Lisbon asked, looking around the airy apartment, waiting for a willowy blonde to appear out of nowhere and announce that their five course dinner would be served in a matter of seconds.

Jane held out a white candy heart without saying a word.

Lisbon took it, her breath catching in her throat just a little bit as she read the words printed on it. _I'M IN LOVE_. She looked at him, her heart skipping a beat; she barely dared to hope that this message was directed towards her. In the years since she had fallen in love with him, she had never allowed herself to hope that he could feel the same way.

"Jane?" She whispered. She still felt slightly insecure; she was still waiting for a willowy blonde to make an appearance, she was still waiting for Jane to tell her that he was ready to move on.

Instead of replying, Jane took a step closer and traced her lower lip with his finger. Then his lips were on her's, and it was the sweetest sensation in the world.

Lisbon could have sworn that after thirty-nine-years of practically despising Valentine's Day, she could get used to celebrating it. Especially if Jane were there to help her.

**_The End_**

**Author's Note:**

**So, there we have it. I am very unsure of this story; I've wanted to do this concept for a year now. I feel like it started out as a really strong story, and then self-doubt crept in. On the heels of self-doubt came the writer's block, it always does. Please give me your honest opinion of this story, and I'll see you next week.**

**Love,**

**Holly, 2/6/12_**


	3. More Aware Now

**Story 3 – Aware Now Now**

**A Jane and Lisbon Story**

**By Brown Eyes Parker**

**Summary:**

**Author's Note: ****just for you to know, I lean towards the Rigsby/Van Pelt direction when it comes to ships. But I decided to keep it canon for the sake of this story. I promise, the next story I will write will have hints of Rigspelt if you don't say anything about the lack of it in this story. The title is taken from the Alanis Morrissette song, "Head Over Feet". If you listen to ANY of the songs that I take titles from this batch of stories, PLEASE listen to this one, I promise that you won't be disappointed. And if you are, I'll try to write a story idea that you give me. **

**Warnings: ****early nineties movie references. This is my pop culture warning, if you haven't ever heard of Nora Ephron or her film **_**Sleepless in Seattle**_**, then I'm sorry. **

**.**

This had been the worst Valentine's Day of Teresa Lisbon's life. It seemed like everybody in her unit had somebody in their lives.

Rigsby had talked incessantly about his date with his wife Sarah; he had been saving for months so he could take her to one of the nicer restaurants in California. She barely got out anymore because she was always at home with their daughter, so he wanted the night to be especially special for her.

Van Pelt had finally made peace with O 'Laughlin's death and had connected with a nice guy from Narcotics, he had lost his fiancée in a car accident. Grace had been getting coffee on the CBI rooftop when she had found him crying. They hadn't been looking to make a match, it had just happened naturally after months of helping each other through their grief. Rumor around the CBI was that he was planning on proposing to her that very night. The Narcotics unit was even saying that he had even gone out to Iowa for the sole purpose of getting her father's permission to marry her.

Cho didn't say much, but Lisbon was pretty sure he had plans with the ex-hooker Summer. They were a match made in Heaven, ever since he had met the platinum blonde; the Korean cop was a lot different. And it was the good kind of different too.

Jane was as closed-mouthed as Cho about having a woman in his life, but Lisbon could only assume there was someone. He had been walking around the CBI like a besotted teenaged boy. There was a definite sparkle in his eye, and a spring to his step. She recognized the signs; somebody special had caught his attention. She knew he would have plans for this very special evening, and that whoever he had plans with was one very lucky lady. She would never admit it aloud, but she envied Patrick Jane's lady, whoever she was.

By the end of the day, all Lisbon wanted to do was escape her love-struck team and go home to wallow in self-pity. There was a tub of Haagen-Dazs and a couple _Nora Ephron_ movies with her name all over it. So, she slipped away, undetected and braced herself for the long, lonely night that she was certain lay ahead of her.

**.**

She was at the part in _Sleepless in Seattle _where Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks saw each other in the airport for the first time when she got a text from Jane asking her where she had disappeared to. She lied to him and told him that she hadn't been feeling well, so she had left work a little earlier than usual.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on her door. She rolled her eyes as she put her movie on pause and straightened her jersey out. Why was it that the man could _never_ leave her alone? The last she wanted was to see him dressed up in an expensive tux, his blonde hair perfectly coifed. It would just remind her of all the things she would never have. So, she took her sweet time in answering the door. In fact, she didn't answer it until Jane's knocking was annoyingly persistent.

"Hey," he said his smile lighting up when he saw her peeking out at him.

"Hey," Lisbon echoed, looking over his shoulder and into the darkness of the night, hoping to get a glimpse of Jane's new ladylove. She probably had a name like Regina or Hailey. She was probably into operas and classical composers with names you couldn't pronounce; she probably had a whole bevy of foreign films in her Netflix cue.

Or worse, she was probably somebody like _Tamara_. A giggling, clingy, wisp of a woman, who looked perfect in tight dresses and praised Jane to Heaven and back again because of the smallest things—

"What are you looking at?" Jane asked, studying her quizzically.

"Oh. . . nothing," Lisbon replied, forcing herself to direct her gaze to his. "So, what do you want Jane? I'm kind of busy right now."

"Right, you're _busy_. I'm sure that Rosie and Meg are extremely important," Jane quipped.

She propped herself up against the doorframe, she wasn't even going to ask how he knew what she was doing. "Jane, please just tell me what you're doing here."

"You left so quickly, I didn't get a chance to ask if you wanted to go out to with me tonight."

"You're kidding, right? You and me. . . ?" She asked incredulously. "Don't you have a date, or something?"

"_A date!"_ Jane looked surprised.

"I don't have time for this," Lisbon said as she started to close the door. "I'll see you later Jane, I hope you have a wonderful evening. Now if you'd excuse me, I would like to go and finish _Sleepless in Seattle_."

"Lisbon—" Jane put his hand in the door to stop her from closing it. "Can't you give me just one more minute?"

Lisbon sighed deeply. "Fine, but just _one_."

"What on earth possessed you to think I had a date tonight?" Jane asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know, you tell me. Well look at that, your minute's up! I guess we'll just have to talk tomorrow—"

"Just answer me straight woman!" Jane demanded. "_What on earth_ possessed you to think I was going on a date tonight!"

"I dunno. . . you've just been so happy around the office lately, it has to be a woman, a woman that you're falling in love with. I have three brothers and eight boy cousins so I know what being in love looks like."

Jane wanted to laugh, but he could tell by her face that the fact he could be in love bothered her. And there was no way in a million years that he wanted to cause her pain. "Darling Lisbon, you're right. _I am_ in love."

"Goodbye Jane," Lisbon said, starting to close the door again.

"Don't you want to know who I'm in love with?" He asked, knowing full well that her answer would be a resounding _no_.

"I'm sure I'll meet her someday. Just give me tonight, okay Jane? Nobody should have to meet the other half of the man they—" she paused, catching herself before there was no going back. "Especially not on Valentine's Day."

"Please Lisbon," Jane begged. "I would very much like it if you met her."

He was looking at her with the face that she was powerless to say no to. So, even though she was sure it would kill her, she agreed to meet the woman who had finally succeeded in capturing Jane's heart again.

"I'll be right back!" He said eagerly.

As she waited for him to return, Lisbon wished for this one moment in time that she could be the woman that other females were jealous of. It was too much to ask for though, she just _wasn't_ the type.

Jane returned a few seconds later, his hands behind his back.

"Well, where is she?" Lisbon asked, looking around expectantly.

"Here," he answered, holding up a medium-sized, handheld mirror.

Lisbon furrowed her eyebrows. "You're _joking_, right?"

"If you look closely then you'll see exactly who I've fallen in love with," Jane said.

She laughed. "Jane, the only person that I see is _me_."

"Well," Jane replied. "Maybe that's exactly who I want you to see."

Lisbon's forced smile slid off her face. "What are you talking about?"

"Lisbon, Lisbon. . . it's no secret that you fell in love with me _years_ ago—"

"That's not true!" Lisbon insisted, trying to sound convincing. "I _never_ fell in love with you—"

"It just took me a while to see it," he continued like he had never been interrupted. "And when I finally did realize that you love me, I discovered that I love you too. . . that I've probably loved you for almost as long as you've loved me. I just didn't realize it before, because I just wanted it to be the kind of love a person felt for a friend, or a sister."

Lisbon's mouth dropped open. "You've been walking around the CBI like a love struck teenager because of _me_?"

"Why do you sound so amazed? If I've been doing that, then the answer is yes. I have been walking around the CBI like a love struck teenager because of you."

Lisbon flushed a light shade of pink, a delicate smile spreading across her face, her heart swelling with happiness. She had never imagined in a million years that Jane would be standing on her porch on Valentine's Day evening, confessing his love for _her_. If she was any other woman, she would have sworn that she had died and woken up in Heaven.

"Aren't you going to say anything Lisbon, dear?"

"Do you want to come in?" Lisbon answered, moving aside so he could come in. "We could finish _Sleepless in Seattle_ together."

Jane didn't hesitate even for a second; he stepped inside, and wrapped her up in his embrace, hesitating for a second before he allowed himself to bury his face in her neck, breathing her in deeply.

Lisbon felt butterflies of anticipation swirl up in her stomach; all she wanted to do was kiss Jane. It was a desire that she had kept buried for years; it was an opportunity she had told herself that she would never get to have. After nearly a decade of self-denial, she couldn't wait anymore.

"Jane," she whispered. "I want you to kiss me."

"Are you sure?" He asked.

She pulled away and looked at him impatiently. "What kind of question is that anyways? _Of_ _course_ I'm sure! It's one of the things I've been sure of for a long time now."

"Okay," Jane said, lifting her hand to brush a teasing kiss on her knuckles.

"_Jane!" _Lisbon whined.

"Just wait a second," Jane said as he tenderly kissed her neck and then her cheek. "I'm getting there."

And when his lips finally touched her's for the first time, it was magical. He was a master at kissing, and Lisbon felt like she was experience her first kiss ever all over again but even better. It was everything a first kiss should be and everything a first kiss wasn't. Because Jane was considerate and loving, and the feelings they had found with each other was more than just a crush or lust.

**_The End_**

.

**Author's Note II: **

**The scene when Jane had Lisbon look in the mirror was taken from a book I read last year, it was a modern day, Christian version of Jane Austen's "Emma". It's called "Amanda", if anybody's interested. It isn't the best book I've ever read, but it was a **_**fun**_ **read (if that counts for anything). **

**Anyways, sorry again for the abrupt ending, I was running out of ideas. And I've had a spurt of inspiration. . . my muse is in the back of my head saying, "don't waste it all in one place Holly". I think I really like this story, even if it could be considered FWP (fluff without plot). Tell me if you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**Until Next Time!**

**Holly, 2/8/1012_**


	4. Pulling Me Right Back In

**Story 4 – Pulling Me Right Back In**

**A Jane/Lisbon Story**

**By Brown Eyes Parker**

**Shout-Outs: ****Brookie66, TheLifeILive, ShellGrad, TwilightLover-CarliseandEsme, & Wldwmn**

**Dedicated to: ****My youngest sister Kat, who LOVES "Stuck Like Glue" (and she's going to go gangsta on the Mentalist writers on Thursday night). **

**Author's Note:**** I don't know where this story came from exactly, but I was thinking about my promise to give a little bit of Rigsby/Van Pelt in my Valentine's Day story when I went to see the play version of "Fiddler on the Roof" on Saturday night. When two of the main characters started to sing "Do You Love Me", this story practically wrote itself. Go figure. It's mostly Jane/Lisbon, but the Rigsby/Van Pelt is DEFINITELY there because I always make good on my word. Title taken from "Stuck Like Glue" by Sugarland (because I swear, NO MATTER WHAT. . . Jane is stuck to Lisbon like Krazy Glue).**

**Warnings: ****None really. Two uses of the word "crap", which is a first for me, because I typically don't use language like that in my stories. But it serves a purpose. And of course, this is probably OOC . . with hurried confessions and falling into each other's arms right after said confession. It's Valentine's Day, give me a break! On that note, this is definitely FWP.**

**.**

"The bottom line is, I love you Grace and I want to spend the rest of my life with you," Rigsby said. "That being said, would you do me the great honor of marrying me and being my wife?"

Van Pelt looked around the bullpen, knowing full well what one of them would be giving up if she gave into her desires. But none of it mattered, she loved him and that was all that mattered, she didn't want to push him away anymore. There would be other jobs, other opportunities to get ahead in her career. And there was Lisbon's news from earlier that afternoon was still ringing in her ears like she had just heard it seconds ago.

She nodded and was off her in feet and throwing her arms around him in a matter of seconds. "Yes. . . yes, _YES_ I will marry you!"

Rigsby pulled her closer and kissed her deeply before he slipped a modest ring on her finger. "You just made me the happiest man on earth Grace. I only hope I can make _you_ as happy."

"You already have," Van Pelt told him, lowering her voice. "Lisbon told me what you did, getting a transfer so we could be together. That has to be the sweetest thing anybody's ever done for me. I just wish you'd discussed it with me first."

"Aw Grace, if I had discussed it with you beforehand then you would have tried to stop me from leaving."

The admission quieted the redhead, she knew it was true. If he had said anything to her, she _would have _fought him and they probably wouldn't be having this discussion. In fact, they'd probably have spent most of their Valentine's Day fighting if he had so much as mentioned it to her.

_Yes_, Van Pelt thought as Rigby's lips found her's again. _This is a lot more agreeable._

**.**

"Well, that's that," Lisbon said as she returned to her desk and pulled her hair out of its ponytail, sighing in relief at the release of pressure on the base of her skull. "Rigsby's going to be the first to leave us—"

"A great writer said that it is better to have love and lost then to have never loved at all," Jane replied, taking a seat across from her.

"I think that you're taking the saying out of context," she told him as she rubbed her temples and swallowed a yawn.

"That I am Lisbon," Jane replied, reclining backwards and smiling at her.

Lisbon let her guard down without thinking about it, allowing Jane a glimpse into her heart just for a moment. "I'm glad they're finally together, I think maybe we deserve to be happy after everything we've been through these past few years."

"Yeah, everybody deserves at least a little bit of love in their lives," Jane agreed absent-mindedly, a strange look taking over his features. "Lisbon. . . do you love me?"

All the color drained from Lisbon's face. "Jane that is an _incredibly_ unprofessional question!"

"It's just you and me," Jane said. "We're best friends, there's nothing unprofessional in asking your _best friend_ how they feel about you."

"Best friends or not, we're still in the office," Lisbon replied. "That makes the question unprofessional."

"Then pretend that we aren't at the CBI," he suggested. "Now, do you love me?"

"We've had a long day, you're just excited. Maybe you should go and get some rest."

"But Lisbon, I want to talk about this now!" Jane insisted. "Do you love me Lisbon?"

Lisbon swallowed and got a far off look in her eyes. "It's never been an issue before. Why do you want to talk about this right now? I thought we were—"

"It's a simple yes or no answer," Jane interrupted. ".?"

"You are relentless—"

"Since that's more or less true, we'll be here all night. I don't have anywhere to go, and I know the same is true for you."

Lisbon looked at him wearily, trying to think of a way to say _no_ when every fiber of her being wanted to say _yes_. Her rational side was saying this had heartache written all over it. Her romantic side was saying she never knew what happened unless she took the plunge and told him the truth.

"Lisbon?" Jane prompted.

She took a deep, steadying breath. "Jane, for eight years I've argued with you, I've gone along with all your schemes – including when I didn't know what I was getting myself into – I've been fired from my job three times because of you, I've filled out more paperwork than I care to think about. I almost got killed by a deranged sheriff; I got shot by a rouge FBI agent, and was kidnapped by a serial killer. I've watched you charm and flirt with countless amounts of women. . . some of them killers, and you want to know if I love you?"

Jane smirked. "So, what you're saying then, is you _don't_ love me?"

"Yes," Lisbon answered, forcing herself not to avoid his eyes.

"For somebody who doesn't love me, you sure have put up with a lot of crap these past eight years."

"Shut up!" She snapped, tossing a pen at him.

Jane got up and came around to her side of the desk, spinning her chair around so she was facing him. He bent down and peered into her eyes, cupping her cheeks in his hands. "No, 'cause it's my turn to talk now."

Lisbon frowned at him, ready to push him away and tell him that she was going to call it a day. But the look in his eyes kept her frozen in place.

"What is it?" She asked.

"For eight years, you've went along with each and one of my schemes, you've stood by me when the going got tough, you did your best to see me through the bad times and you were there to create the good times. You let me cry and never asked questions, you believed in me all the times nobody else did. I can't even count all the things you did for me, but they all mean something—"

"So, does that mean that you love me?" Lisbon asked slowly, her pulse increasing slightly.

"Well, I don't want to say," Jane answered, tearing his gaze away from her's. "Not if you don't love me back."

"You think I'd put up with all your crap if I didn't love you?" Lisbon asked. "If that's not love, then tell me what love is—"

She gasped as Jane stood up and swept her up in his arms. He settled down in her chair and lowered her in his lap. She smiled shyly at him and waited for him to say something else.

"Do you love me?" He whispered.

"I guess I do," she answered.

"Then I love you too," Jane said, threading his fingers through her hair and studying her face.

Lisbon's breath hitched in her throat, things had progressed so quickly. Ten minutes ago, she hadn't expected to be in his arms. Thirty minutes ago, she hadn't expected him to ask her if she loved him. But now, here they were, wrapped up in each other and almost unaware of their surroundings. She would have probably kissed him, but she did remember they were in her office.

"Lisbon?" Van Pelt asked, looking at them from the doorway, her eyes lighting up as she bit back a squeal at the sight of her boss and Jane in each other's embrace.

"What is it Van Pelt?" Lisbon asked, not feeling the slightest bit of awkward, even though she knew that she probably should.

"Wayne and I are heading out for the evening," she replied. "We have reservations and we don't want to be late. We'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure," Lisbon answered. "Have a good time tonight, and congratulations to both you and Rigsby."

"Oh, thanks!" Van Pelt nodded. "And congratulations to the both of you. . . it's about time that you guys got together."

Lisbon looked at Jane as the younger agent disappeared.

"What does that mean?" She asked.

Jane shrugged. "Is it my problem if the whole CBI has thought we should be together for eight years?"

"Eight years? Really?" Lisbon asked, trying to conceal her shock.

He pushed her off his lap gently. "I want to kiss you, and I know you won't let me do it in the office, so let's get out of here."

Lisbon rolled her eyes, but allowed him to help her gather up her things and lead her out of the office and into the night, because she wanted to kiss him too.

**_The End_**

**Author's Note II:**

**Okay, so maybe the ending's a little weak and maybe I should have put a little kissing. But it's the best I could come up with. And who doesn't like a little mystery? This way you guys can come up with whatever ending you want for this pairing after they leave the office. . . and I won't be forced to write the same boring kissing scene that I typically do.**

**I might have something for you guys tomorrow. **

**So, until next time don't forget to give me your feedback!**

**My love to you all,**

**Holly 2/13/1012_**


	5. She Kisses Me and She Holds Me Tight

**Story 5 – She Kisses Me and She Holds Me Tight**

**A Jane/Lisbon Story**

**By Brown Eyes Parker**

**Shout-Outs: ****xJadeWEAPONx, Totorsg, LizFromItaly, TwilightLover-CarliseandEsme, TheLifeILive, and Wldwmn**

**Author's Note: ****Another story that I've wanted to write for a while now. Jane and Lisbon playing Scrabble. I remember that hardly loquacious wrote a holiday fic about Jane and Lisbon playing Scrabble, but I promise it isn't a copycat story. And yes, I am one of those nerdy people who listen to NPR radio. The title comes from the Ray Charles song, "Hallelujah, I Love Her So" (a wicked good Jane and Lisbon song, given certain episodes.)**

**Warnings: ****There are slight pop culture references, Scrabble, Dove chocolate, old songs and their singers, and NPR Radio. Other than that, you're good. **

**.**

"You're really not into this tonight, are you?" Jane asked as Lisbon put another three-letter word down on the Scrabble board.

Lisbon shrugged as she added up her points and replaced her letters. "I could think of better things to do then spend the night at the CBI, playing Scrabble with my consultant."

"What were your other options?" Jane asked. "You were probably going home to torture yourself with another one of your sappy chick flicks or a drugstore romance novel. I know you wouldn't be going out anywhere tonight, you don't want to see all the other happy couples. They're just a reminder of the things you'll never have—"

Lisbon glared at him. "Stop reading me Jane and make your move."

Jane built a bigger word on the Lisbon had just laid down and observed Lisbon as she quickly counted up his points and handed him the bag of letters. The combination of Valentine's Day and a tough case had been wearing on her all day, and causing her pretty lips to be pursed in a frown. He hated it when she was unhappy.

He wanted to make her smile.

He weighed his next words carefully as he selected a handful of wooden tiles. "Well, I'll be honest with you and say that you're the only person I want to be with tonight."

Lisbon looked up at him and bit her lip, forcing herself not to smile. "You're just saying that. There are a million other places you could be, there are dozens of other women you could be spending the evening with—"

"Not true," Jane insisted. "I love working the night-shift with you. Sitting on your office floor and listening to the _NPR _Valentine's Day special is exactly what I wanted to do tonight. It couldn't have worked out better if I planned it out myself."

She still looked unconvinced as she folded her legs in a yoga position and studied the board, taking her time so she could think up the perfect reply to his comment. But she couldn't come up with anything clever to say to him, barbs and sugary responses were far from her mind. She just wanted to ask if he was telling the truth. She tapped her pen on her thigh and swallowed her words as she absent-mindedly put down her letters, still fighting off her smile.

Silence ensued as they finished their Scrabble game while they listened to the Valentine's Day special on the radio. When Lisbon's program ended, Jane got up and switched the station, the sounds of the great love songs of old filling Lisbon's office.

He went back to Lisbon, who was hunched over, putting the game away. He still wanted to see her smile, so he held out his hand to her.

"Shall we give it a whirl?" He asked.

"_Here? Now?"_ Lisbon replied, her mouth dropping open slightly.

"If not here, _where_? If not now, _when_?" Jane said, pulling her up off her feet. "It's just you and me Lisbon, the whole floor is empty and the new night watchman is still finding his way around the building. He won't be up to check on us for a while, there won't be any gossip about us once morning comes."

Lisbon had been so lost in thought that she didn't notice Jane had slipped away to turn the music up.

"What's up with you tonight?" She asked as he began to dance with her, her arms slipping around his neck on their own accord.

"Nothing," Jane answered, twirling her out to the bullpen so they would have more room to dance.

Lisbon felt as if she was in another time and place, it was almost like she had been dropped into a scene from one of her favorite old movies. She closed her eyes and could almost see a bar thick with smoke, the live band, and a dance floor crowded with people. Somewhere in the center of it all was the red-lipped heroine clung to her partner partly because she was afraid she'd lose him in the shuffle, and partly because she didn't know when she'd get a chance to hold him again.

Next to the hero and heroine's first passionate kiss, it was one of her favorite moments in films like that.

The song ended and Lisbon fully expected Jane to stop dancing with her, to go back to her office and play another round of Scrabble while they chatted about meaningless things. An Ella Fitzgerald song began and Jane pulled her back in his arms. They swayed in one place, his hand stroking her back as he held her closer than before.

And suddenly she had the urge to kiss him.

Maybe it was the fact the song playing on the radio was _I Hadn't Anyone 'Til You, _or maybe it was the fact that she could feel his heartbeat against her's, the warmth from his embrace. Maybe it was the fact that she was Valentine's Day and she wanted to remember what a man's touch felt like.

She didn't care about fictional facts though.

Lisbon threw caution to the wind and lifted her head so her lips could meet his in a cautionary kiss. She pulled away a little startled at her forwardness, and then it was like something snapped inside her. She was really kissing him, and he was really kissing her back as they continued to slow dance with each other.

They weren't making out, but she could still taste the Chinese takeout they had shared for dinner, the tea (with just a hint of honey), and the _Dove_ chocolate on his lips. She sighed against his mouth, wondering why they had waited all these years to kiss each other.

It was bliss.

She pulled away and smiled at him ruefully. "Sorry about that. . . I got a little carried away."

Jane pressed a finger to her lips. "You're smiling; I've been trying to get you to smile all day."

Lisbon laughed. "Is that what it was?"

"When you're unhappy, I'm even more unhappy."

"I know. Hightower told me," Lisbon confessed.

"She would," Jane grumbled.

"Awww, did you want her to keep it a secret?"

"Maybe," Jane answered, dipping her slightly and bringing her back up as _All The Things You Are _started to play.

"So, are we just going to dance the rest of the night away?" Lisbon asked, resting her chin in the crook of his neck and closing her eyes again.

"Didn't you know that this was one of my dreams?" Jane asked, his voice growing husky. "To spend the night with you in my arms, dancing?"

"Are you just feeding me a line?" Lisbon asked just as huskily.

"I'm way past feeding you lines Lisbon," he replied smoothly.

He felt her laugh against his neck. "How do I know that just isn't _another _line?"

"Trust me on this Teresa," Jane said. "I don't need to feed you lines anymore, not when I'm so sure that you belong to me."

Lisbon looked at him. "You sound so sure of yourself—"

Jane cut her off by pressing his lips against her's as _Hallelujah, I Love Him So_**. **Shesighed again and returned his kiss, proving his words to be true entirely.

**Author's Note II:**

**I am grinning like an idiot because of this story. I think it's my favorite one of the bunch. Sorry this story is a day late, I tried to have it ready in time for yesterday but things didn't go the way I expected. I hope you guys had a wonderful day! Don't forget that reviews are love! Until next time.**

**Love,**

**Holly, 2/15/12_**


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